Few if any Speedway pundits would have predicted the outcome of this NL meeting.

The visitors the Coventry Storm, already qualified for the NL Play-offs, were never more than 5 points ahead. However, as often is the case, the score tells only half the story. The meeting turned on an incident in heat 12 when Adam Extance who was leading was brought down in a chain reaction following an ambitious move from Coventry’s Luke Priest. The race had been a competitive one with Extance, fellow Hitman Paul Bowen and Priest swapping places a number of times before the incident occurred. Unfortunately the incident for which Priest was disqualified resulted in a near hour delay whilst Extance was treated and medical cover was sufficient for the match to continue. Extance it was later announced suffered a concussion and was thankfully released from Hospital.

The early heats were littered with complaints by the visitors about the track resulting in a heat three track inspection by referee Chris Durno. Following a track grade and a delay of around 20 minutes the meeting continued but it was clear some of the visitors were struggling with the track. By heat 6 Buxton lead by one point and it was obvious it was going to be no walk-over. The overall lead changed hands no less than 5 times after heat 6 with the visitors shading it by three points in the finish. The Hitmen would no doubt have tracked both Extance and Tony Atkin in that last heat decider.

Extance was flying on his way to his first ever Buxton paid Maximum. The ever reliable Atkin was leading from the front finishing with 15 from his 6 rides despite a nasty hand injury following a heat 13 crash. It was also an encouraging debut from Mancunian Paul Bowen who netted 4 and a bonus from 3 completed rides.

Storm took 3 league points from a meeting they could have been expected to have taken 4 from.

‘We did well today’ commented team boss Jayne Moss ‘but it seems that some of the Storm team did not give the track a chance and were quick to criticize which is a pity for the paying public’

Buxton complete their home programme against Scunthorpe Stags on Sunday October 5th.